Container



June 12, 1945. F, A, sAwYER CONTAINER Filed Dec. 50 1942 INVENTOR. fff f4. J/'/)Z' BY e s: a ATTORNEY Patented June l2, 1945 -f STAT-ES 7PATBNrf-ofFFI-CE CNTAlNER Application December so, 1942, sena1No.410,'z00 y' 5 claims. i (ci. 15o-0.5)

f-'Ihi's invention relates to containers for storing liquids, and especially to containers for stor- .inggasolene for aviation motors, distilled water for storage battery installations and the like.

'Itis-usualat places where large quantities of motor fuel must be kept, to store gasolene in large Ametal tanks, holding thousands of gallons,

. andV disposed 'either above or belowv the surface of theearth. Such metal tanks and the piping necessary to'their use requiretime, heavy equip- `ment-arid large numbers of skilled workmen for their ;i xista1lati on,.. and once installed, they are Y. 'more or leiis-pferxnanent, that is they cannot g readily bedn'oved. In-.military operations it is Y 'important to lbe able .readiiyto transport and set up containers for the storage of large quantities ofgaviation fuel or other liquids.

n -The'present invention provides means for accomplishing this objective by providing a novel formfoflight, flexible, collapsible storage containers which are capable of holding large quantities of'.liquid and which can be readily trans ported and set up. In carrying out my invention. I provide a flexible liquid container formed of a relatively small quantity of impervious material, and I provide a separate. supporting means for the container which surrounds the container and supports the hydrostatic forces of the confined liquid, relieving the impervious container of all stresses due to the weight of the stored liquid. In this manner a light and easily transported container is provided having a minimum quantity of impervious material, the outer support being made of readily available and inexpensive materials which need not be impervious to the stored liquid.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of container embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the container shown in Fig. 1, on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

'I'he storage container includes a closed cylindrical container I ll formed of any suitable light weight, flexible material which is'substantially inelastic and is inert and impervious to the liquid to be stored. Preferably the material is inert to aromatic hydrocarbon fuels. An example of such material is textile fabric impregnated and coated with a suitable synthetic rubber or rubber-like composition such as the olen polysulde plastic material known in the trade as Thiokoi. The container I0 is cylindrical informy and has a top wall i2'and a bottom wall I4 connected by a cylindrical side wall IB. Preferably fabric impregnated with the inert'materialis-cut in pieces of the proper size andshapev andl the pieces are cemented or vulcanized together, with or Without sewing, all joints being rendered impervious to the liquid in any suitable, manner known in the art. A ground cloth I8, for example of heavy canvas, preferably circular in form and of consideri ably greater diameter than the diameter of the container, is secured to the bottom wall, either by adhesive cement or by tabs 2l bonded to the bottom wall and fastened tothe ground cloth in any suitable manner, as by rivets.

The container is surrounded and supported by an outer wall 22 formed of any suitable flexible and substantially inelastic material, such as canvas of suitable tensile strength. This outer wall forms a cylinder whose diameter is les than the diameter of the container I0 when unconflned. so that when the container is placed in the outer wall the container must necessarily pucker slightly as indicated in Fig. 2. Thus when the container is filled with liquid its walls are slack, and all of the horizontal hydrostatic forces due to the liquid are supported by the outer wall, there being no stress on the` container itself due to the presence of liquid. Accordingly, the inner container may be made of very light weight material and requires only a minimum quantity of impervious material for its construction.

The wall 22 is supported in upright position by substantially rigid stakes or posts 24 which are firmly supported in a vertical position. Preferably the stakes are driven into the ground through appropriate openings 26 in the ground cloth, disposed substantially'on the circle formed by the horizontal projection of the wall 22. The stakes are preferably contained in sleeves 28 sewed to the side wall 22 opposite the openings 26. The sleeves may be secured to the stakes by wing nut bolts 21.

When the device is assembled the ground cloth is rst drawn taut to insure that the bottom wall of the container is fiat. The stakes are then inserted in the sleeves and are driven into the ground'through the holes 26. The holes serve to locate the stakes accurately and the stakes hold the ground cloth taut to insure that the bottom wall of theV container is at while the device is "being assembled, subject only to the slight puckoi the wall 22 are preferably secured to the stakes by rivets, bolts, hooks or-any suitable means, to insure maintaining the wall both upright and in contact with the ground, thus assuring that'the wall will extend throughout the height oi the container and support all parte oi' its vertical wall.

The stakes are provided with suitable top pieces Il which protect the tops of the stakes while they are being driven, and which support hooks 32 for supporting a rope 34 by which the side wall of the container is supported in upright position through tabs 3l secured to the container and through which the rope is passed.

The container may be illled, drained, and

vented by any suitable conduits preferably all attached to a single plate or support I8 secured in any suitable manner to an opening in the top wall. As illustrated a vent pipe 40 and a filling and emptying pipe 42 are secured to the plate 3l. 'Ihe pipe l! is preferably ilexible, for example being formed of a Thiokol hose, so that the container can be collapsed and rolled up without danger of injury. The weight of the plate and pipe connections may be supported by a rope il suspended from a 4pole Il secured to the tops of appropriate stakes.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A liquid storage device comprising in combination a closed container formed of flexible substantially inelastic impervious material and including a circular bottom wall and a circular top wall connected by a cylindrical side wall, an outer wall of flexible substantially inelastic material surrounding the containerl the diameter of the outer wall being less than the normal diameter of the container when unconiined. a plurality of supporting members rigidly supported in uprightposition and disposed adjacent the outer wall, the outer wall being secured to the supporting members, and means secured to the bottom wall of the container and to said supporting members to maintain said bottom wall dat between the supporting members.

2. A liquid storage device comprising in combination a closed container formed of flexible substantially inelastic impervious material and including a circular bottom wall and a circular top wall connected by a cylindrical side wall, an outer wall of iiexible substantially inelastic material surrounding the container, the diameter of the outer Wall being less than the normal diameter of the container when unconiined, a sheet of flexible material secured to the bottom Wall of the container and extending substantially beyond the outer wall, said sheet having a plurality of openings therethrough disposed substantially on the circule formed by the 'horizontal projection oi' the outer wall and a plurality of upright substantially rigid supports attached to the outer wall and extending through said openings.

3. A liquid storage device comprising in combination a closed container formed ot flexible substantially inelastic impervious material and including a circular bottom wall and a circular top wall connected by a cylindrical side wall, an outer wall of flexible substantially inelastic materia! surrounding the container, thediameter of the outer wall being less than the normal diameter of the container when unconiined, a sheet of flexible material-secured to the bottom wall of the container and extending substantially beyond the outer wall, said sheet having a plurality oi' openings therethrough disposed substantially on the circle formed by the horizontal projection of the outer wall,- ai. plurality of upright sleeves secured to the wall and disposed in alignment with the openings in said sheet and a plurality of substantially rigid sup-ports disposed in said sleeves and passing through said openings, said supports being secured to said outer wall.

4. A liquid storage device comprising in combination a closed container formed of ilexible substantially inelastic impervious material and including a circular bottom wall and a circular top wall connected by a cylindrical side wall, a cylindrical outer wall surrounding the side wall of the container and extending throughout the height of thecontainer, said outer wall being formed of substantially inelastic material and having a diameter yless than the normal diameter of the container when unconiined, and means secured to the bottom wall of the container and extending beneath and outside of the outer wall for holding the bottom wall ilat.

5. A liquid storage device comprising in combination a closed container formed of flexible substantially inelastic impervious material and including a bottom Wall and a side wall, an outer wall of ilexible substantially inelastic material surrounding the container, a plurality of spaced supporting members disposed in an upright position adjacent the outer wall and connected thereto and a ground cloth secured to the bottom wall of the container and extending outwardly of the outer Wall and cooperating with the said supporting members for maintaining said bottom wall in a substantially iiat condition between the supports.

FRED A. SAW YER. 

